Le Vent Du Nord – Territoires
Borealis Records – Out Now
The interactive information section of the award-winning Le Vent du Nord‘s website shows that it is some seventeen years since their formation, some 1900 live shows have been played across four continents and that they have released ten albums. What this raw data does not convey, however, is the fact that the group are not only the leading exponents of traditional Québecois music but also one of the world’s foremost purveyors of folk music.
Thematically based on a story about territories, each of the thirteen tracks on their latest release, Territoires, is a gem. The interpretation of ‘territory’ is wide-ranging, encompassing the familial, regional and ideological, and, in addition to being imbued with the group’s passion for music and history, “They are also impressions, colors and sentiments, a way of feeling, extreme joy or deep sadness.”
Unashamedly singing exclusively in French, thus underlining their Québec identity, “We are of a unique culture, and that’s what we represent”, certainly adds to the authenticity, indeed the release is all the stronger for it. As with all great music, any potential language barriers can be overcome as the sentiments and spirit of the words are transported straight to the heart and soul, emotion is a universal tongue.
Whilst the core of the band’s trademark music remains inexorably linked with the history and old songs of Québec, both traditional and through their own compositions, the band’s sound has evolved since the release of Têtu, their previous studio release of some four years ago. Much of this is due to the recruitment of a fifth band member, André Brunet, formerly of La Bottine Souriante and more recently founder-member of De Temps Antan, which he left as “a free agent” to join his brother in Le Vent du Nord. In addition to providing three compositions on the album, the addition of his second violin, together with foot stamping, has created a fresh dynamic and given a new complexion to the band’s sound.
Outstanding musicianship is apparent on Territoires, with violons (fiddles), bouzouki, guitares, vielle a rou (hurdy-gurdy), piano, basse, mélodéon (diatonic button accordion), bombardes (shawms) and pieds (foot stomping/percussion) melding perfectly together with exquisite vocal harmonies involving all five members of the group, Simon Beaudry, Nicolas Boulerice, Andre Brunet, Réjean Brunet and Olivier Demers.
The tone of the release is set from the very beginning, with a rousing piece written by Nicolas, Le Pays de Samuel, which was inspired by explorer, ethnographer and diplomat Samuel de Champlain, “Father of New France” and “Father of Acadia“, whose dream was of a country which would bridge European and Indigenous nations. Lamenting the fact that the dream remains unfinished and work still needs to be done, “il nous reste a faire ce pays”, the musical tightness of the band shines through, confuting the potential ‘new member having to bed-in’ syndrome.
There is no let-up in tempo as Adieu du Village a previous single release, ensures that high energy levels are maintained. A traditional song, published by ethnologist Jean-Claude Dupont in 1984, and given to Boulerice by musician Loïc Hamon, it recounts the story of Pierrick who kills his lover in order to please his mother. Sentenced to death, he is spared execution, on the scaffold, as the hangman’s rope breaks. Musically, this track is typical of the band’s style, with the contemporary arrangements and Nicolas‘s melody breathing new life into the historical narrative.
One of four instrumental sets on the album, Cotillon du Capitaine is an exhilarating foray into French country dance territory with its infectious melody and contagious percussion which, somewhat unexpectedly, introduces jazzy piano at 2 minutes 56 seconds. This is followed by Le Soir Arrive, a gentle love song featuring some superb fiddle work, again furnished with perfectly understated, delicate piano notes, the walk along the river gives no real clue to the dreams unfolding in the head of the protagonist.
The effervescent Le Jardinier, a traditional song from Elzéar Lahaie, set to a new Olivier tune Le reel de l’Est precedes Le Step à Alexis, a reel in three parts written by André for his youngest son who, in keeping with the album’s theme, not only “a tendance à vouloir agrandir son territoire“, “has a tendency to want to enlarge his territory”, but wishes to do so at speed, in order to make great discoveries. A velocity which is matched by the tunes’ tempo, defying the listener not to stomp along, but leaving one breathless when you do.
Louisberg, a foreboding Acadian lament, is brilliantly delivered a cappella, and recounts the fall of the first city in French America, uniquely from the viewpoint of the soldiers who fought together. The serious tenor is continued with the next track, the mélodéon led La Mère à l’Échafaud. Another of the three songs from the collection of George Comeau appearing on the album, this heart-wrenching tale of the young mother at the scaffold benefits greatly from André‘s mellifluous, Celtic-infused melody, La Marche des haubans.
Évolution Tranquille with lyrics from Nicholas and accompanied by La Marche de la Grande Noirceur, a Réjean tune, charts progressive social changes, the lyrics offering a nod to Québec’s rebirth, from feudalism to modernity, from the Industrial to the Quiet Revolution. It is, ultimately, an optimistic song “Nouveaux esprits, terraux fertiles, (R)évolution tranquille” New spirits, new territories, quiet (r)evolution.
George Comeau‘s song Au Régiment set to Richard Forest‘s tune Le mistigris builds slowly to a climax of almost anthemic proportions, with layers of fiddle, expansive harmonies and a relentless, unadorned percussive beat delivering a contemporary classic, before leading into the dark, haunting tale of Chaousaro tells of the mythical beast inhabiting the Champlain Lake territory, birthplace to three of the group.
Penultimate track, Turlute a Bassinette relates to the earliest, most important territory, that of early childhood and security blankets, and again features a melody from André.
Beginning as a slow lullaby, the tune develops to include chorus-like vocalised wordless variations, (tamtidelam, tam tidelidelam), characteristic of the turlutte, a form of traditional Québec song made popular by Mary Bolduc, and also the name of a fiddle tune in Québec. Here there is a subtle French play-on-words as one of the most famous turlutes was also composed by one Antonio Bazinet.
The sleeve notes accompanying the release make reference to Olivier‘s propensity to sooth with his Petits rêves (little dreams), and the closing tune Côte-Nord, on which he plays graceful guitar, totally succeeds in evoking a dream-like atmosphere that carries one’s imagination to “ce territoire, vierge, sauvage” “this wild, virgin territory“. A fitting way to end the album.
An avowed aim of the group has been to delve deep and then re-interpret traditional music, and in the process re-imagine Quebec’s identity and its place in the world.
“We invent new ways to be part of North America and be Québécois. I don’t know how we will need to fight, but we will fight anyway. But, the Québec way: with the violin, and the song.” This new album admirably succeeds in this regard.
Territoires is an outstanding release, confirming their status as a pre-eminent force in their field.